Select Window > Layers.
- What’s new
-
Add and import files
-
Start new files
- Create documents using presets
- Create and save custom document presets
- New Document dialog overview
- Create documents using blank templates
- Create files with large canvases
- Create documents using templates from Adobe Stock
- Rotate canvas view
- Organize, share, and collaborate using Projects
- Access projects in the Illustrator workspace and other apps
- Find and edit Adobe Express templates
- Import from other apps
- Import other file types
-
Start new files
-
Use generative AI
- Common questions about generative AI features in Illustrator
- Generate similar variations without text prompts
- Generate scenes, subjects, and icons
- Partner models in Adobe Illustrator
- Use Auto Select
- Generate patterns
- Manage pattern variations
- Edit generated patterns
- Generate shape fills
- Scenarios with repeat shape fill generation
- Recolor artwork with text prompts
- Generate vector graphics to expand artwork
- Options to expand the expanded artwork
- Generate print bleed
- View 2D objects from new angles
- Scenarios with linked variations
- Manage generated variations
-
Manage objects
- Select objects
-
Arrange objects
- Move objects
- Move multiple objects at once
- Move objects by specific distances
- Move or duplicate an object by pasting
- Paste an object relative to other objects
- Align or distribute selected objects
- Distribute objects by specific distances
- Rotate objects
- Expand objects
- Rotate multiple objects individually
- Rotate objects by specific angles
- Reflect or flip objects
- Reflect objects along an axis
-
Edit objects
- Divide or split objects
- Cut objects with the Knife tool
- Duplicate objects
- Create duplicate objects using Offset Path
- Edit similar objects
- Edit groups with similar objects
- About clipping masks
- Create clipping masks
- Edit clipping masks
- Add, remove, or release objects from clipping masks
- Hide parts of objects with clipping masks
-
Reshape and transform objects
- Pathfinder panel overview
- Edit areas of overlapping objects with Pathfinder
- Create compound shapes with Pathfinder
- Transform objects
- Transform panel overview
- Scale objects
- Scale multiple objects
- Distort object
- Distort objects with envelopes
- Edit the contents of envelopes
- Envelope panel options
- Shear objects
- Intertwine objects
- About perspective drawing
- Draw objects in perspective
- Perspective grid options
- Define and manage perspective grid preset
- Move the perspective grid and adjust its vanishing points
- Adjust grid cell size and grid extent
- Adjust horizon heights and grid planes
- Adjust the perspective grid and the active plane widget
-
Create traces, mockups, and symbols
- Convert images to vector graphics
- Image Trace panel options
- Edit image trace results
- Save image trace presets
- Edit mockups
- Create mockups for images
- Save mockups as templates
- Create and place symbols
- Symbols panel options
- Edit symbols
- Create or import symbol libraries
- Maintain proportions while scaling symbols
- Transform symbols
-
Measure and align
- Use grids and guides
- Plot and measure
-
Paint and fill
-
Learn painting basics
- About fills and strokes
- Fill and stroke controls
- Apply fill colors
- Apply stroke colors
- Create multiple fills and strokes
- Convert strokes to compound paths
- Remove fills or strokes
- Select objects with same fill and stroke
- Paint tools overview
- Paint with the Live Paint Bucket tool
- Live Paint Bucket tool options
- Create Live Paint groups
- Isolate Live Paint groups
- Merge paths using the Blob Brush tool
- Blob brush options and best practices
- About Live Paint
- Find and close gaps in Live Paint groups
- Expand and release Live Paint groups
- Resize objects or paths within Live Paint groups
- Select faces, edges, and paths in Live Paint groups
- Add paths to a Live Paint group
- Live Paint limitations
-
Apply and edit strokes
- About brushes
- Brushes panel overview
- Draw paths with brush strokes
- Apply brush strokes to paths
- Remove brush strokes
- Customize arrowheads
- Add arrowheads to paths
- Paintbrush tool options
- Create brush libraries
- Import brushes
- Create brushes
- Create dotted or dashed lines
- Modify brushes
- Change the caps or joins of a line
- Convert brush strokes to outlines
- Create and edit gradients
- Create and edit meshes
- Create and edit patterns
-
Learn painting basics
-
Design with text
- Add and manage text
-
Edit and format text
- Character panel overview
- Transform text
- Underline or strikethrough text
- Change case and capitalization styles
- Adjust kerning and tracking
- Turn fractional character widths off or on
- Paragraph panel overview
- Align text
- Adjust word and letterspacing in justified text
- Indent text
- Adjust paragraph spacing
- Create bulleted or numbered lists
- Move or flip text
- Adjust text alignment and spacing on paths
- Apply effects to text on paths
- Work with fonts and scripts
-
Create and manage artboards
- Add and edit artboards
-
Organize and manage artboards
- Use the artboard context menu
- Cut, copy, and paste artboards
- Move artboards
- Rearrange artboards
- Reorder artboards
- Align and distribute artboards
- Lock artboards
- Modify display settings of artboards
- Set artboard views
- Apply colors to artboards
- Set video display options for artboards
- Export selected artboards
-
Manage colors
-
Select and adjust colors
- About selecting colors
- Color Picker overview
- Select colors using the Color Picker
- Color panel options
- Select colors using the Color panel
- Convert color modes
- Make colors printable or web safe
- Change colors to their inverse or complement
- Get precise spot colors using lab values
- Adjust saturation of multiple colors
- Adjust color balance
- Blend colors
- Change color tints
-
Use swatches
- About Swatches
- Swatches panel overview
- Add colors to swatches
- Create swatches from the Color Guide panel
- Create process color swatches
- Create spot-color swatches
- Create gradient swatches
- Reorder swatches
- Duplicate swatches
- Replace, merge, or delete swatches
- Group swatches
- Move colors into swatch groups
- Create and open swatch libraries
- Edit swatch libraries
- Move swatches from swatch libraries to the swatches panel
- Share swatches between applications
-
Select and adjust colors
-
Manage layers
- Create and organize layers
- Lock and hide layers
- Apply and modify layer effects
-
Apply special effects and styles
- Apply filter effects
- Create 3D graphics
- Apply graphic styles
-
Automate and visualize data
-
Automate actions
- Actions panel overview
- Create new actions
- Insert non-recordable tasks into actions
- Specify playback speed
- Insert stops in actions
- Exclude commands from actions
- Add commands to actions
- Re-record actions
- Manage a set of actions
- Play actions on a batch of files
- Batch options
- Install and run scripts
- Merge data
- Set up data source files
- Import data source files
- Variable panel overview
- Work with variables
- Edit dynamic objects
-
Visualize data
- Data sets and label options
- Create graphs
- Add graph data
- Add graph labels and data sets
- Adjust decimal digits and column width
- Format columns, bars, and lines
- Select parts of a graph
- Change graph types
- Change graph value axes
- Assign different scales to value axes
- Change the position of legend in graphs
- Combine different graph types
- Add drop shadows to graphs
- Apply marker designs to graphs
- Format pie graphs
- Format graph text
- Reuse graph designs
-
Automate actions
- Troubleshoot
-
Save and export
- Export files to different formats
- Export to other apps
- Get started
Edit clipping masks
Learn how to change the shape and content of clipping masks to control which parts of the artwork are visible within defined shapes.
Edit a clipping mask
In the Layers panel, select the group that contains the clipping path and the masked objects, then choose Object > Clipping Mask > Edit Mask.
Modify the clipping path in one of these ways:
Move: Select the Direct Selection tool and drag the object's center reference point.
- Reshape: Select the Direction selection tool and adjust anchor points and handles.
- Apply a fill and stroke: Apply on a clipping path for additional visual effects.
To select all clipping paths in a document, first deselect all artwork. Then select Select > Object > Clipping Masks.
When you finish editing, select anywhere outside the clipping mask to exit edit mode.
Edit paths within a clipping set
Position the Direct Selection tool over a portion of the path within the mask. When the path's outline appears, select it.
Edit the path by adjusting anchor points and handles or applying different fills and strokes.
To select a clipped path, select the portion that appears inside the mask. Parts outside the mask aren’t visible in the artwork, but can still be edited.